Your role: You are a pharmacist. Your situation: Today, Mary came into your pharmacy to request a refill of her presсrіption. Mary is eighteen years old, your cousin and your friend. She is also a hypochondriac. Hypochondria is a mild neurosis, where the person believes she is ill when she is really not. A hypochondriac may actually unconsciously invent symptoms. In other words, if the symptoms of an illness are rapid heartbeat and stomach cramps, she may develop those very symptoms. When Mary hands you her presсrіption bottle, you notice that it reads “Obecalp.” This is “placebo” spelled backwards. A placebo is a fake pill, usually just sugar-covered. It is not medicine. According to a recent poll, about 40% of doctors admitted that at one time or another, they have prescribed a placebo for a patient. Other doctors refuse to do so. The presence of this split makes this topic a good one for an argument. The thinking behind using a placebo is that a fake pill might get rid of fake symptoms. Sometimes this works, and sometimes it does not work. The psychological power of a placebo, the power of the mind to invent reality, is called “The Placebo Effect” by psychologists. Here’s the complication: This time, Mary says something to you that she has never said before: “Obecalp. Hmmm. You know, this stuff doesn’t taste like medicine. What’s in this anyway?” Your problem: What will you do? Lie to Mary or tell her the truth? Take a stand, present at least three reasons to support your choice, make a concession and watch your blind assumptions. A few quick notes of warning—IF this were an actual exam: On a college level essay exam, NEVER take the easy way out. For example, it will do no good here to just say “I would send Mary back to her doctor.” That won’t work. The doctor will just send Mary back to you and she will start to resemble a ping pong ball. Take a good stand, and defend it. On a college level essay exam, never fence-sit. For example, I once had a student write: “I won’t like to Mary, but I will give her the chemical name for sugar. Use logic to deconstruct this claim: We know Mary came in the pharmacy not knowing the Obecalp is a placebo. We know Mary asked you what was in the pill. Therefore, by logical deduction, if Mary leaves the pharmacy still not knowing what is in her pills, then you must have lied to her. There are actually five ways to lie to someone: An out and out lie. Pretending ignorance of the truth. Trying to pass the responsibility to another. Purposefully fail to correct a false assumption.
